SHOOT #2 (february 2026)

THE ANTI-RECIDIVISM COALITION’S Hope & Redemption Team (HART), launched in 2017, was created from Sam Lewis’ vision of sending formerly incarcerated individuals back inside prisons to guide those still serving time. What began in seven California facilities has expanded to 29 prisons, including women’s institutions, establishing one of the most impactful peer-led reentry preparation initiatives in the state.

At the heart of HART is lived experience. Every facilitator is formerly incarcerated, many returning to the very institutions from which they once paroled, offering credibility, mentorship, and tangible proof that transformation is possible.

During this session at Chino State Prison, facilitators Benny and Joe led the class, while Ben Lear and Sarah Florez from ARC Communications TEAM documented the workshop, interviewing participants and capturing the program in action.

The program operates through four ten-week cycles each year and includes courses such as AVATAR Parole Preparation and Relapse Prevention, Criminals and Gang Members Anonymous (CGA), and Emotional Intelligence—curricula designed to strengthen accountability, emotional resilience, and practical readiness for life after release.

Participation does not end at the prison gates.

Upon release, graduates are welcomed into ARC’s broader reentry network, where continued mentorship, services, and community support ensure that the journey begun inside continues with structure, dignity, and opportunity on the outside.